SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Bankers Healthcare Group, LLC (BHG) and JMA Wireless have plans to expand and add jobs.
BHG will relocate into a new building on Spencer Street, while JMA plans to renovate the former Coyne building into a high-tech manufacturing center.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the expansions during a Wednesday morning appearance at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, the former Hotel Syracuse.
Bankers Healthcare Group
Bankers Healthcare Group of Syracuse will relocate and consolidate several of its local operations to a newly constructed, $35 million facility located at 300-324 Spencer St.. It also plans to create 330 jobs.
BHG, which is headquartered in Davie, Florida, currently has its financial headquarters at 201 Solar St. in Syracuse’s Franklin Square area.
“By partnering with the state, we not only have the ability to expand our company footprint but create more than 300 new jobs in Central New York,” Albert Crawford, founder, chairman, and CEO of BHG, said in Cuomo’s release. “Our company headquarters have been in downtown Syracuse for nearly two decades, and it’s an honor to play a key role in attracting top talent, contributing to the local economy, and supporting the redevelopment of the Inner Harbor.”
Spencer Street LLC will construct and furnish a 100,000 square-foot facility at 300-324 Spencer St. in Syracuse to house Bankers Healthcare Group and Capital Collection Management.
The project will include the demolition and remediation of the existing property, and the construction and full equipping and furnishing of the new facility. The combined initiative will result in the creation of 330 new jobs.
During construction, BHG employees will remain at their current office locations in Franklin Square and Armory Square; Capital Collection Management employees will continue working from the company’s Armory Square location. BHG expects crews to complete the project by the end of 2023.
New York is contributing $11 million for the project, including a $4 million capital grant and $7 million in Excelsior Jobs tax credits.
Founded in 2001, Bankers Healthcare Group provides financing to health-care practitioners and other licensed professionals.
Besides its corporate headquarters in Davie, Florida and its financial headquarters in Syracuse, BHG also operates a research and development office in New York City.
JMA Wireless
JMA, which focuses on 4G and 5G software-based technology, will spend $25 million to create a 5G high-tech manufacturing center in downtown Syracuse. JMA will renovate the former Coyne building and others located at Cortland Ave. on the south end of Syracuse’s downtown. The 5G campus, spanning a city block, will manufacture the world’s first indoor 5G millimeter wave radio system and act as a showcase for 5G driven experiences.
The project “complements” efforts by the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County to develop a strong tech corridor from downtown into the South Side, “making Central New York a center for 5G and smart city development,” Cuomo’s office said.
The project will create 100 jobs in a “distressed” neighborhood adjacent to downtown, and the jobs will range from entry level to advanced engineering.
New York is providing a $5 million Upstate Revitalization Initiative grant to assist with this project, Cuomo’s office said.
Cuomo in 2017 announced that JMA would invest $34 million to expand operations in Onondaga County and relocate out-of-state operations to Clay. JMA has exceeded its hiring commitment of 145 jobs, creating more than 200 new jobs at its Clay location as well as meeting the investment commitment in half the expected time.
Over the last six years, JMA has invested more than $100 million in the Syracuse area and employs over 500 locally, per Cuomo’s office.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com